VAI Member Spotlight: Elite Rotorcraft, Tennessee, USA Aerial filming company uses an Airbus/Heli-Lynx 355 FX2, as well as boats and cars equipped with specialized equipment, to provide a full suite of services for television and movie producers. Chances are high that you’ve seen the work of Elite Rotorcraft. One of only a handful of preferred cinema, television, and sports-filming helicopter operations in the United States, the Nashville, Tennessee–based operator stays plenty busy. Elite Rotorcraft owner and president Michael Franck fell into television and film production work entirely by accident. A third-generation pilot, Franck opened a tour operation in Panama, Illinois, later moving to Chicago. With high-end movie production flying being a very small and niche market—only about a half dozen pilots are on the speed dials of most movie production houses—it isn’t uncommon for those pilots to seek an aircraft on location. One day, Franck got a call from one of those pilots about renting a helicopter for a filming job, but the pilot had to leave after several weather delays extended the production. Franck stepped in. “The camera operator told me he was impressed with how well I flew for the camera,” Franck recalls. “He asked if he could pass my name along.” It wasn’t long before word of mouth sent more jobs his way. Specialized Fleet for Air, Water, and Ground Filming Today, Elite Rotorcraft operates an Airbus/Heli-Lynx 355 FX2 helicopter in addition to boats and cars with custom designed camera rigs that can film everything from blockbuster movies (Man of Steel, Twisters, and Divergent are just a few examples of the company’s work) to commercials and sporting events, like the SailGP races. As demand grew for the company’s services, Franck had a specialized trailer designed and built two of them for helicopter transport. The enclosed trailers allow Elite Rotorcraft to transport its aircraft anywhere in North America within two days, which translates to time savings that virtually eliminate weather delays that can plague cross-country repositioning flights. Elite’s helicopter operation for production services is full service. It includes maintenance, Screen Actors Guild–approved pilots, aerial coordinators, aerial production ground crews, a fuel truck, and temporary paint, if required. Encouraging Female Film Pilots Franck is focused on the next generation of pilots who specialize in film production. “There are no female pilots who do this, so I’m looking for a female pilot who can be trained and brought up through the ranks,” he says. “It is a really hard business to get into and you have to learn it by being around it.” When not on production jobs, Elite Rotorcraft provides charter services, but it is a very small part of the company’s overall business, according to Franck.
